


They Put A Man On The Moon

by Savageandwise



Category: Music RPF, Real Person Fiction, The Beatles
Genre: Angst, Let it be, M/M, McLennon, Moon Landing, Work of fiction, july 20th 1969, ooc and stuff, this never happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 16:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18076856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Savageandwise/pseuds/Savageandwise
Summary: John and Paul and the moon landing.





	They Put A Man On The Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twinka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinka/gifts).



> Thanks to Twinka for this lovely prompt!
> 
> I did do a little research and the moon really was waxing crescent. They really did watch the first cut of 'Let It Be'.
> 
> The title is from R.E.M's song "Man On The Moon."
> 
> 'Michael refers to Michael Lindsay-Hogg who directed the "Let It Be" film but also the film "Two Of Us"

The moon was what they called waxing crescent— a thin, white sliver like a child's drawing. It hung in the gloom like a cheap silver earring. The ghost of a moon.

John was dressed all in black. He was painfully thin, his long hair and beard fox-red in the moonlight. Paul couldn't recall why they were still out here when everyone else was inside. He was never alone with John anymore.

“We ought to split,” John said all of a sudden.

Paul just stared at him in surprise. He realised, with a jolt, that he was still John. The same mouth, the same nose, the same squinting eyes behind the frames of his glasses. But he was a million light years away from the man he'd kissed in Paris under the cheap, floral hotel coverlet. 

“Where would we go?” Paul asked carefully. _And why?_

“We could _Let It Be_ , go down the pub, watch the moon landing instead,” John quipped.

Paul managed a short, nervy laugh. “What, rather than watch Michael's masterpiece?”

“Yeah, come on. They won't miss us.” John's eyes were unnaturally bright. 

“What about Linda and Yoko? Do we take them with us when we blow this joint?”

John shrugged uncomfortably, his eyebrows arching upwards as if he'd just remembered Linda and Yoko were there.

“They're expecting us,” Paul said weakly, an apologetic smile on his lips.

John was looking up at the sickle moon a strange expression of longing stamped on his pale face. 

“Do you think they really put a man up there?” John asked.

Paul wrinkled his forehead in perplexion. “Is there any doubt? They're filming it. Do you think they can fake it?”

“They can fake anything. Michael filmed us being a band, didn't he?”

Paul didn't know what to say to that. He longed for the closeness of their childhood, of even two years ago. A time when landing on the moon seemed impossible.

“Fuck the pub,” John said. “Let's go to the moon.”

He reached forward and put a hand on Paul's arm. The pressure of his hand brought unexpected tears to Paul's eyes and he blinked them away rapidly. He wondered if John was high, the sentimental mood seemed out of character for him these days. To see him without Yoko plastered at his side seemed uncharacteristic, too.

“Just the two of us, yeah Paul?” John said.

He slid his hand up Paul's arm slowly, absently, like he wasn't aware he was doing it. Paul hesitated, ran his thumb over the knuckles of John's hand. It felt like stroking a wild animal who might attack unprovoked. He hummed soothingly under his breath. John looked down, startled and raised his hand to brush Paul's lips with trembling fingers.

“Two of us, chasing moonbeams…” John murmured under his breath, his voice joining Paul's in what barely passed for singing.

Paul kissed the tips of John's fingers, shivering at the poignant sweetness of the stolen moment.

“But is the moon far enough?” Paul asked.

**Author's Note:**

> The end of this fic was inspired by a Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper fic by thefudge called Pluto. Credit where it's due. That fic was lovely.


End file.
